Philiris diana: Difference between revisions

Species of butterfly

Philiris diana is a species of butterflies of the family Lycaenidae from Wet Tropics of northeastern Queensland of Australia.^[1][2]

The species belongs to the diana species-group, which are relatively large butterflies within the genus Philiris. Like in other six members of the group, the hindwing underside of P. diana does not have a black spot on the inner margin, and the male genitalia possess long and asymmetric valvae.^[3] It is most similar to Philiris papuanus, found on Cape York Peninsula of Queensland and New Guinea. The two species have similar genitalia; particularly they share the degree of the valvae assymetry. The valvae of P. diana, however, differ by the less arched middle section of the left valva, with shorter apical spine; and right valva having short beak-like process, directed dorsolaterally (the process is longer and thinner, with curved apical spine in P. papuanus).^[2]

Taxonomic History[edit]

In April 1907 F. P. Dodd collected ten males and seven females in Kuranda, Queensland. Waterhouse and Lyell illustrated a male and a female from the series, described a new species Philiris diana in 1914, but did not designate any type specimens.^[1]

The original series was deposited in the Australian Museum, Sydney. In 1971 J. V. Peters considered the illustrated male and female as holotype and allotype, respectively.^[4]

In 1998 M. J. Parsons designated a lectotype from the series^[3]. This was invalid, because the holotype of Peters, though incorrectly established, should be treated as the lectotype, and the rest of the series as paralectotypes (13 specimens). Similarly invalid was a lectotype designation of D. P. A. Sands in 2015.^[5][6]

Classification[edit]

Philiris diana is divided into two subspecies:^[2]

• Philiris diana diana Waterhouse et Lyell, 1914
• Philiris diana fortuna Hacobian, Braby et Petrie, 2023

Philiris diana diana diagnosis[edit]

Males, upperside: ground color paler violet-blue; costa and apical areas of hindwing broadly white; black terminal band narrower than in P. p. fortuna; forewing with central patch, extending below CuA2; forewing termen weekly arched. Females, upperside: paler than P. p. fortuna; forewing central patch large, 30-40% of wing; hindwing costa and apical areas between Rs and M1 and adjacent central area distal to discocellular veins between M1 and M3 white. Underside less silvery than in P. p. fortuna. Genital valvae narrower than in P. p. fortuna.^[2]

Philiris diana fortuna diagnosis[edit]

Males, upperside: ground color from…